David Fanning

There’s something symbolic about David Fanning growing up practically on top of the Tennessee-Alabama state line. For much of his life, the rising country music star has been expertly straddling another line: the one between artist and producer.

As the guiding force behind the hot Nashville production team NV Entertainment, David has overseen three #1 hits by Thompson Square and Parmalee, and worked to ready newer acts, like guitar-slinger Lindsay Ell, for the big time. Taking what he has learned behind the console, David also crafted his own brand of country music.

“Being an artist was always the plan, but sometimes you get there a different way. When me and my partners in NV met Thompson Square and produced their debut album, I got sidetracked, in a good way,” says David. “But when you have an opportunity to expand and get better at your craft, you take it. Producing albums helped me become the artist I am.”

With his fresh, honeyed voice and the gift to make whatever he records distinctly his own, David is the kind of artist country music needs right now.

“I want my songs to have depth, and touch on all the sounds that today’s music fan cares about,” he says. “On their iPhones, people have Imagine Dragons, Lupe Fiasco and then Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean. I wanted to acknowledge that.”

To find and maintain exactly the sound he’s after, David produces all of his songs, with input from his comrades in NV. A longtime audiophile, David has been training himself on Pro Tools since he was 14, becoming one of the music industry’s most adept manipulators of the popular recording software. “I taught myself everything by just doing it. I didn’t use books or YouTube or anything. I’ve just done it so long,” he says.

Best of all, he’s doing it his own way, following his own creative vision.

“Working with artists like Thompson Square, Parmalee and Lindsay Ell taught me how to stick out,” David says. “But most importantly, I learned how to be me.”